Unable to Find Jobs, Law Grads Hang Out a Shingle

Two 2008 graduates of the University of Missouri-Kansas City law school took matters into their own hands when they were unable to find a job. They rented office space and formed their own law firm.

The new lawyers, Sarah Buckley and Alexandra Hutchings, “decided working for themselves would be better than not working,” according to the Kansas City Star.

“It’s scary,” Buckley told the newspaper. “We don’t know if we’ll have a paycheck every month.” Buckley lives with her parents to save money, and Hutchings has a second job as a restaurant hostess, according to the story.

“At least we have some place to go every day,” Buckley told the Star.

Usually about 3 percent of law graduates open their own law firms each year, according to the National Association for Law Placement. The number jumped to 7 percent in 1992-93, a possible response to the economic downturn at that time.

Will the percentage rise once again? NALP doesn’t yet have the data to answer the question, executive director James Leipold told the Star.